Just returned from New Orleans August 2012. Taxis are now $33.00 set price to and from the airport. We stayed at the Doubletree directly across the street from a massive Rivera Casino. The Riverwalk mall is directly in front of it with a free water taxi to the other side if you prefer to cross. Canal Street Shopping Center is very high end and to be avoided unless you have won the lottery. Be sure to shop the French Quarter and Magazine street, for boutiques etc. We got to go cups along Bourbon Street and went into every jazz bar along the way. You can carry your to go cup in and out of every establishment. We hit the Louis Armstrong Festival by accident that was free and at the end of the French Market. All day jazz with amazing talent. In 2013, it will August 1st and 2nd. A must do. Back to Bourbon Street, police on horses arrive at around 11 each night and are to be avoided as they do not move for peds and travel down the middle of the crowds. Best time to hit the three story Krystal's (Southern version of White Castle) for the walk home. Make sure to go to Café Du Monde for beignets and chicory coffee, get a po'boy, anything creole, and pralines.
Mike Summers - March 2009:
New Orleans is a great 'adult' city to visit. There is not much for younger kids to visit for more than a day. I'd suggest making it a couples visit. Most hotels do not have shuttle service from the New Orleans' Airport in Kenner to downtown New Orleans. So, you can get a taxi for $25.00 or take the Airport Express Bus (E-2) for $2.00. Here's the website for the bus (Website: http://www.jeffersontransit.org/schedules/E2Airport-Map.htm ). The E-2 doesn't reach the New Orleans Central Business District (CBD) after 7:00 PM on weekdays or on weekends. I came late one night. The driver showed me where to cross the street at his last stop at Carrolton and Tulane Streets and catch the Jefferson Parish Transit Bus to the Central Business District (Website: http://www.jeffersontransit.org/schedules/CBD-Map.htm ) where my hotel was located. Here's some general transportation information (Website: http://www.neworleanstransportation.com/index.php ). Once you're settled, take the opportunity to at least ride one of the street cars (Website: http://www.neworleanstransportation.com/streetcars.php ). There are a couple of nice areas to visit. The riverfront is a nice area (Website: http://frenchquarter.com/sightseeing/riverfront.php ) along Decatur Street. Here's a map that shows its location in reference to other sites: http://frenchquarter.com/interactive_map/sidelink.html . I enjoyed a daily morning jog in this area. Jackson Square (Website: http://www.jackson-square.com/ ) is a focal point of this area with it's statue of Andrew Jackson and the Cathedral behind it. Carriage rides are available on Decatur Street in front of the Square. Prices are cheaper early in the day -- don't be afraid to barter. You can also take cemetery tours although we didn't (Websites: http://www.tourneworleans.com/cemetery_set.html and http://www.hauntedhistorytours.com/Voodoo.htm ). They seemed very popular. Along the river you can take a riverboat cruise -- I didn't, but here's some reviews about the experience that was posted by other tourists: (Website: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Louisiana/New_Orleans-793014/Tourist_Traps-New_Orleans-Riverboat-BR-1.html ). Nearby Jackson Square is the Cabildo, which is now the Louisiana State Museum (Website: http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabex.htm ). A nice place to visit on a hot, muggy day in New Orleans. You should also stop at the Café Du Monde (Websites: http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabex.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_du_Monde ) and sample the world-famous beignets. It makes for a good breakfast and is open 24/7. Open containers are allowed in New Orleans; so, you'll see plenty of people carrying beers, hurricanes, and other adult beverages. For food in this area, I highly recommend the Crescent City Brew house at 527 Decatur Street. (Website: http://www.crescentcitybrewhouse.com/ ). We enjoyed it so much that we went back. The Pasta Jambalaya and Weiss Beer are great. From Decatur Street head toward the French Quarter (Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Quarter and http://frenchquarter.com/ ). A couple of places that we visited and mingled with the locals and tourists along Bourbon Street include: Howl at the Moon Piano Bar (Website: http://www.howlatthemoon.com/ ), Krazy Korner (Website: http://www.krazykorner.com/ ), Famous Door (Website: http://local.yahoo.com/info-31950528-famous-door-new-orleans ), and Johnny White's Sports Bar & Grill (Website: http://johnnywhitesneverclosed.com/ ). Also on Bourbon Street is Pat O'Brien's (Website: http://www.patobriens.com/patobriens/ ) which has an excellent Courtyard seating/patio area where you can enjoy some Alligator Bites and a Hurricane (yes, Alligator Bites, and yes they taste like chicken). There are many others that you can discover for yourself! You'll also want to at least walk a few blocks along Canal Street (Websites: http://www.canalstreetneworleans.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Street,_New_Orleans ) and check it out. We ate at a nice restaurant for breakfast between the 700 and 1000 blocks of the east side of Canal Street, but I forgot the name. It had a 'diner' like atmosphere. I failed to mention that on one trip we stayed at the Hotel Provincial (Website: http://www.hotelprovincial.com/ ) near the French Quarter. We really liked it and would stay again. On a second trip, I stayed at the Holiday Inn - Superdome (Website: http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/new-orleans/msydt/hoteldetail ), which was okay. It was easy to walk from that area to the French Quarter. I would state that New Orleans is a nice one-night or two-night visit for couples or for a group of guys/gals. Be prepared to listen to music and drink multiple adult beverages. People are friendly. Spring and fall are nice, while summer is muggy.
Enjoy your trip!
Mike Summers
We did a food-themed drive west of New Orleans. Travel west of the airport on Interstate 10 to Lafayette, which is the Cajun capital of Louisiana. In Lafayette, head to Earl's ( http://boudinlink.com/Earls/Earls.html ) and ( http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6782 ). Earl's is actually a small market where butchers make pork and rice sausage, called boudin, behind the counter, and where plate lunches of fried chicken or red beans and rice are served in Styrofoam containers, perfect for a picnic or eating in a car. A second place to try in Lafayette is Johnson's Boucaniere ( http://johnsonsboucaniere.com/ ) and ( http://www.boudinlink.com/Parrain_Special.html ) that has been serving boudin and other meats since the 1940's. Try the Parrain Special, a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with crumbled boudin balls and dressed with barbecue sauce. For a different kind of Cajun sit-down, visit Café Des Amis in nearby Breaux Bridge, La. It's the crawfish capital ( http://cafedesamis.com/ ) of Louisiana. At Café Des Amis there's a selection of gumbos, crawfish pie, and po'boy sandwiches. You can also have breakfast where they serve beignets (sugar-dusted fritters). They have live music on Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights. Café Des Amis is also a bed and breakfast. About 25 miles north of Beaux Bridge is Port Barre, LA. In Port Barre is Bourques's Supermarket ( http://www.bourquespecialties.com/ ) and ( http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/1889/bourques-supermarket ) which is known for it's jalapeno sausage cheese bread. Head to the back of the market and order from the counter! The last part of our food-themed trip took us to Ville Platte, LA which is the home of T-Boy's Slaughterhouse ( http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6815 ) and ( http://tboyscs.com/ ). The butchers make use of the whole pig. As they tell it, "Rooter to tooter" The boudin is great and so are the cracklins - fried pieces of pork skin and fat. Buy a bag for the trip back to New Orleans! Cajun food is amazing! Enjoy a trip to this part of the country and afterwards, plan on an exercise routine to eliminate the calories gained!
Mike Summers - June 2014:
New Orleans is a great two or three night destination. We flew in and spent a night before heading out for a week-long trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama, which is a 3.5 hour drive from New Orleans. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency (Website: http://www.neworleans.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html ) near the Superdome. We got it through Hotwire. Parking isn't cheap in New Orleans. If you don't mind walking...do it! Most spots are within one to two miles of each other. For dinner I would recommend the Red Fish Grill at 115 Bourbon Street (Website: http://www.redfishgrill.com/ ). Our party of five each tried something different and none of us were disappointed. I had the Mississippi Catfish and Shrimp Creole along with the Double Chocolate Bread Pudding. Another excellent restaurant is Deanie's Seafood one block northwest of Bourbon Street at 841 Iberville Street (on the corner of Iberville Street and Dauphine Streets). The locals seem to love it (Website: http://www.deanies.com/restaurants/french-quarter-private-dining/ ). I had the Crabmeat Au Gratin and the Coconut Custard Bread Pudding. During Tourist Season there are numerous artists that set up shop around Jackson Square on Decatur Street (Website: http://www.experienceneworleans.com/jackson-square.html ). It's a great place to browse. You can also pick up a carriage ride (Website: http://www.neworleanscarriages.com/fqtours.html ) and enjoy the sights. If you go early, you can often get a discount. If you want a relaxing beach vacation at a relatively inexpensive price, give Gulf Shores, Alabama a try (Website: http://www.gulfshores.com/ ). We've been going there for a number of years. You fly into New Orleans, rent a car for a week, drive to Gulf Shores on Interstate 10 east to Alabama State Highway 59 south. We rent a two-bedroom condo through VRBO at the Gulf Shores Plantation resort on Alabama State Highway 180 west toward Fort Morgan. (VRBO Website with Gulf Shores Plantation Highlighted: http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/alabama/fort-morgan/gulf-shores-plantati/plantation-east ). As you can see, a two bedroom runs in the $100 - $125 range per night. Split that cost with another couple and you have an inexpensive stay. We drive into town and get the necessary items at the local Wal-Mart(Website: http://www.walmart.com/storeLocator/ca_storefinder_details_short.do?rx_dest=%2Findex.gsp&rx_title=com.wm.www.apps.storelocator.page.serviceLink.title.default&sfsearch_city=gulf+shores&edit_object_id=2748&sfsearch_state=AL
). We also purchase about four pounds of local jumbo crab and have it for dinner about three to four different nights. Local restaurants are numerous. Mikee's has all you can eat catfish (Website: http://www.mikeesseafood.com/ ) and great crab cakes. Gulf Island Grill (Urban spoon Website: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/223/782670/restaurant/Mobile-Bay/Gulf-Island-Grill-Gulf-Shores ) accommodates large groups easily and has an excellent menu (plus Yuengling on tap). On this trip the air temperature was 89 each day, and the water temperature was 84 degrees.
Enjoy New Orleans and Gulf Shores!
Stacey Gleave - January 2015:
My husband and I decided to do a quick one night overnight trip to the "Big Easy" or "NOLA". Bourbon Street is the epicenter of entertainment on a Saturday night. Galatoire's Restaurant (Website: www.galatoires.com ) one of New Orleans’ oldest and most popular restaurants is located here. Founded by Jean Galatoire in 1905, Galatoire’s continues to run by his fourth generation descendants. Specializing in French Creole cuisine, this French Quarter hot spot is the place to be. The Old Absinthe House (Website: www.ruebourbon.com/oldabsinthehouse.com ) building was originally erected in 1806 as a family-owned importing firm. As years went on, the ground floor became a saloon where in 1874 mixologist, Cayetano Ferrer, created the famous Absinthe House Frappe. Even though Absinthe is now an illegal substance, you can still experience this celebrated drink substituted with Herb saint. The decorative marble fountains that were used to drip cool water over sugar cubes into glasses of Absinthe can still be found in this historic bar. The intersection of Bourbon Street and St. Anne Street begins the section of Bourbon that caters to New Orleans’ flourishing gay community. Lafitte-In-Exile is the oldest gay bar in the country and Tennessee Williams was a frequent visitor during his time in New Orleans. Also on Bourbon Street is Pat O'Brien's (Website: www.patobriens.com ); it is home of the famous Hurricane. The name of the drink came from the shape of the glass it’s served in – the iconic curved glass resembles a hurricane lamp. The perfect place to have one is still at Pat O’s with their legendary courtyard overlooking the flaming fountain. They have plenty of heaters in place outside in the courtyard when the weather is cool. In between these hot spots are numerous other bars and music venues like Fat Katz (Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-catz-new-orleans ) where you can listen to live music and savor adult beverages all night long.
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New Orleans Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/New_Orleans
French Quarter Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/New_Orleans/French_Quarter
Chalmette Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Chalmette
Saint Bernard Parish Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Saint_Bernard_Parish#See
Lafayette Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Lafayette_(Louisiana)
Acadian a Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Acadiana
Cheryl Hydrick - August 2012:
Just returned from New Orleans August 2012. Taxis are now $33.00 set price to and from the airport. We stayed at the Doubletree directly across the street from a massive Rivera Casino. The Riverwalk mall is directly in front of it with a free water taxi to the other side if you prefer to cross. Canal Street Shopping Center is very high end and to be avoided unless you have won the lottery. Be sure to shop the French Quarter and Magazine street, for boutiques etc. We got to go cups along Bourbon Street and went into every jazz bar along the way. You can carry your to go cup in and out of every establishment. We hit the Louis Armstrong Festival by accident that was free and at the end of the French Market. All day jazz with amazing talent. In 2013, it will August 1st and 2nd. A must do. Back to Bourbon Street, police on horses arrive at around 11 each night and are to be avoided as they do not move for peds and travel down the middle of the crowds. Best time to hit the three story Krystal's (Southern version of White Castle) for the walk home. Make sure to go to Café Du Monde for beignets and chicory coffee, get a po'boy, anything creole, and pralines.
Mike Summers - March 2009:
New Orleans is a great 'adult' city to visit. There is not much for younger kids to visit for more than a day. I'd suggest making it a couples visit. Most hotels do not have shuttle service from the New Orleans' Airport in Kenner to downtown New Orleans. So, you can get a taxi for $25.00 or take the Airport Express Bus (E-2) for $2.00. Here's the website for the bus (Website: http://www.jeffersontransit.org/schedules/E2Airport-Map.htm ). The E-2 doesn't reach the New Orleans Central Business District (CBD) after 7:00 PM on weekdays or on weekends. I came late one night. The driver showed me where to cross the street at his last stop at Carrolton and Tulane Streets and catch the Jefferson Parish Transit Bus to the Central Business District (Website: http://www.jeffersontransit.org/schedules/CBD-Map.htm ) where my hotel was located. Here's some general transportation information (Website: http://www.neworleanstransportation.com/index.php ). Once you're settled, take the opportunity to at least ride one of the street cars (Website: http://www.neworleanstransportation.com/streetcars.php ). There are a couple of nice areas to visit. The riverfront is a nice area (Website: http://frenchquarter.com/sightseeing/riverfront.php ) along Decatur Street. Here's a map that shows its location in reference to other sites: http://frenchquarter.com/interactive_map/sidelink.html . I enjoyed a daily morning jog in this area. Jackson Square (Website: http://www.jackson-square.com/ ) is a focal point of this area with it's statue of Andrew Jackson and the Cathedral behind it. Carriage rides are available on Decatur Street in front of the Square. Prices are cheaper early in the day -- don't be afraid to barter. You can also take cemetery tours although we didn't (Websites: http://www.tourneworleans.com/cemetery_set.html and http://www.hauntedhistorytours.com/Voodoo.htm ). They seemed very popular. Along the river you can take a riverboat cruise -- I didn't, but here's some reviews about the experience that was posted by other tourists: (Website: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Louisiana/New_Orleans-793014/Tourist_Traps-New_Orleans-Riverboat-BR-1.html ). Nearby Jackson Square is the Cabildo, which is now the Louisiana State Museum (Website: http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabex.htm ). A nice place to visit on a hot, muggy day in New Orleans. You should also stop at the Café Du Monde (Websites: http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabex.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_du_Monde ) and sample the world-famous beignets. It makes for a good breakfast and is open 24/7. Open containers are allowed in New Orleans; so, you'll see plenty of people carrying beers, hurricanes, and other adult beverages. For food in this area, I highly recommend the Crescent City Brew house at 527 Decatur Street. (Website: http://www.crescentcitybrewhouse.com/ ). We enjoyed it so much that we went back. The Pasta Jambalaya and Weiss Beer are great. From Decatur Street head toward the French Quarter (Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Quarter and http://frenchquarter.com/ ). A couple of places that we visited and mingled with the locals and tourists along Bourbon Street include: Howl at the Moon Piano Bar (Website: http://www.howlatthemoon.com/ ), Krazy Korner (Website: http://www.krazykorner.com/ ), Famous Door (Website: http://local.yahoo.com/info-31950528-famous-door-new-orleans ), and Johnny White's Sports Bar & Grill (Website: http://johnnywhitesneverclosed.com/ ). Also on Bourbon Street is Pat O'Brien's (Website: http://www.patobriens.com/patobriens/ ) which has an excellent Courtyard seating/patio area where you can enjoy some Alligator Bites and a Hurricane (yes, Alligator Bites, and yes they taste like chicken). There are many others that you can discover for yourself! You'll also want to at least walk a few blocks along Canal Street (Websites: http://www.canalstreetneworleans.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Street,_New_Orleans ) and check it out. We ate at a nice restaurant for breakfast between the 700 and 1000 blocks of the east side of Canal Street, but I forgot the name. It had a 'diner' like atmosphere. I failed to mention that on one trip we stayed at the Hotel Provincial (Website: http://www.hotelprovincial.com/ ) near the French Quarter. We really liked it and would stay again. On a second trip, I stayed at the Holiday Inn - Superdome (Website: http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/new-orleans/msydt/hoteldetail ), which was okay. It was easy to walk from that area to the French Quarter. I would state that New Orleans is a nice one-night or two-night visit for couples or for a group of guys/gals. Be prepared to listen to music and drink multiple adult beverages. People are friendly. Spring and fall are nice, while summer is muggy.
Enjoy your trip!
Mike Summers
We did a food-themed drive west of New Orleans. Travel west of the airport on Interstate 10 to Lafayette, which is the Cajun capital of Louisiana. In Lafayette, head to Earl's ( http://boudinlink.com/Earls/Earls.html ) and ( http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6782 ). Earl's is actually a small market where butchers make pork and rice sausage, called boudin, behind the counter, and where plate lunches of fried chicken or red beans and rice are served in Styrofoam containers, perfect for a picnic or eating in a car. A second place to try in Lafayette is Johnson's Boucaniere ( http://johnsonsboucaniere.com/ ) and ( http://www.boudinlink.com/Parrain_Special.html ) that has been serving boudin and other meats since the 1940's. Try the Parrain Special, a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with crumbled boudin balls and dressed with barbecue sauce. For a different kind of Cajun sit-down, visit Café Des Amis in nearby Breaux Bridge, La. It's the crawfish capital ( http://cafedesamis.com/ ) of Louisiana. At Café Des Amis there's a selection of gumbos, crawfish pie, and po'boy sandwiches. You can also have breakfast where they serve beignets (sugar-dusted fritters). They have live music on Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights. Café Des Amis is also a bed and breakfast. About 25 miles north of Beaux Bridge is Port Barre, LA. In Port Barre is Bourques's Supermarket ( http://www.bourquespecialties.com/ ) and ( http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/1889/bourques-supermarket ) which is known for it's jalapeno sausage cheese bread. Head to the back of the market and order from the counter! The last part of our food-themed trip took us to Ville Platte, LA which is the home of T-Boy's Slaughterhouse ( http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6815 ) and ( http://tboyscs.com/ ). The butchers make use of the whole pig. As they tell it, "Rooter to tooter" The boudin is great and so are the cracklins - fried pieces of pork skin and fat. Buy a bag for the trip back to New Orleans! Cajun food is amazing! Enjoy a trip to this part of the country and afterwards, plan on an exercise routine to eliminate the calories gained!
Mike Summers - June 2014:
New Orleans is a great two or three night destination. We flew in and spent a night before heading out for a week-long trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama, which is a 3.5 hour drive from New Orleans. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency (Website: http://www.neworleans.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html ) near the Superdome. We got it through Hotwire. Parking isn't cheap in New Orleans. If you don't mind walking...do it! Most spots are within one to two miles of each other. For dinner I would recommend the Red Fish Grill at 115 Bourbon Street (Website: http://www.redfishgrill.com/ ). Our party of five each tried something different and none of us were disappointed. I had the Mississippi Catfish and Shrimp Creole along with the Double Chocolate Bread Pudding. Another excellent restaurant is Deanie's Seafood one block northwest of Bourbon Street at 841 Iberville Street (on the corner of Iberville Street and Dauphine Streets). The locals seem to love it (Website: http://www.deanies.com/restaurants/french-quarter-private-dining/ ). I had the Crabmeat Au Gratin and the Coconut Custard Bread Pudding. During Tourist Season there are numerous artists that set up shop around Jackson Square on Decatur Street (Website: http://www.experienceneworleans.com/jackson-square.html ). It's a great place to browse. You can also pick up a carriage ride (Website: http://www.neworleanscarriages.com/fqtours.html ) and enjoy the sights. If you go early, you can often get a discount. If you want a relaxing beach vacation at a relatively inexpensive price, give Gulf Shores, Alabama a try (Website: http://www.gulfshores.com/ ). We've been going there for a number of years. You fly into New Orleans, rent a car for a week, drive to Gulf Shores on Interstate 10 east to Alabama State Highway 59 south. We rent a two-bedroom condo through VRBO at the Gulf Shores Plantation resort on Alabama State Highway 180 west toward Fort Morgan. (VRBO Website with Gulf Shores Plantation Highlighted: http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/alabama/fort-morgan/gulf-shores-plantati/plantation-east ). As you can see, a two bedroom runs in the $100 - $125 range per night. Split that cost with another couple and you have an inexpensive stay. We drive into town and get the necessary items at the local Wal-Mart(Website: http://www.walmart.com/storeLocator/ca_storefinder_details_short.do?rx_dest=%2Findex.gsp&rx_title=com.wm.www.apps.storelocator.page.serviceLink.title.default&sfsearch_city=gulf+shores&edit_object_id=2748&sfsearch_state=AL
). We also purchase about four pounds of local jumbo crab and have it for dinner about three to four different nights. Local restaurants are numerous. Mikee's has all you can eat catfish (Website: http://www.mikeesseafood.com/ ) and great crab cakes. Gulf Island Grill (Urban spoon Website: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/223/782670/restaurant/Mobile-Bay/Gulf-Island-Grill-Gulf-Shores ) accommodates large groups easily and has an excellent menu (plus Yuengling on tap). On this trip the air temperature was 89 each day, and the water temperature was 84 degrees.
Enjoy New Orleans and Gulf Shores!
Stacey Gleave - January 2015:
My husband and I decided to do a quick one night overnight trip to the "Big Easy" or "NOLA". Bourbon Street is the epicenter of entertainment on a Saturday night. Galatoire's Restaurant (Website: www.galatoires.com ) one of New Orleans’ oldest and most popular restaurants is located here. Founded by Jean Galatoire in 1905, Galatoire’s continues to run by his fourth generation descendants. Specializing in French Creole cuisine, this French Quarter hot spot is the place to be. The Old Absinthe House (Website: www.ruebourbon.com/oldabsinthehouse.com ) building was originally erected in 1806 as a family-owned importing firm. As years went on, the ground floor became a saloon where in 1874 mixologist, Cayetano Ferrer, created the famous Absinthe House Frappe. Even though Absinthe is now an illegal substance, you can still experience this celebrated drink substituted with Herb saint. The decorative marble fountains that were used to drip cool water over sugar cubes into glasses of Absinthe can still be found in this historic bar. The intersection of Bourbon Street and St. Anne Street begins the section of Bourbon that caters to New Orleans’ flourishing gay community. Lafitte-In-Exile is the oldest gay bar in the country and Tennessee Williams was a frequent visitor during his time in New Orleans. Also on Bourbon Street is Pat O'Brien's (Website: www.patobriens.com ); it is home of the famous Hurricane. The name of the drink came from the shape of the glass it’s served in – the iconic curved glass resembles a hurricane lamp. The perfect place to have one is still at Pat O’s with their legendary courtyard overlooking the flaming fountain. They have plenty of heaters in place outside in the courtyard when the weather is cool. In between these hot spots are numerous other bars and music venues like Fat Katz (Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-catz-new-orleans ) where you can listen to live music and savor adult beverages all night long.